Amare is playing well, helping us win games.
Bargs is set to return soon. His skill set is condusive the triagle. If we don't need him to carry a heavy load we can
keep him healthier and thus his career can take on a better trajectory than his last 2 year decline.

If kept healthy, both could very well help us in achieving a playoff seed.

And a lower draft pick. Then their salaries come off the books.
My take is their success increases their price if we want to retain them. They are both on "Contract years" so are motivated highly (not tht Amare is like that) and both have a lot to prove.
Amare is fighting "Father Time" and Barg's a soft reputation.

The problem is their success makes for a nice season but going forward creates a problem. My take is Phil would do well to retool using free agency AND a high draft pick. I can't see both returning next year.
To make a substantial run in the next few years.

To me their success is not enough to make us contenders but could inhibit longer term progress. Either should be traded for youtier assets or picks to teams looking for contending sooner than later. they can help a good team NOW.

Sorry, I hate the notion of tanking but the fact remains we need a good pick this year AND cap space. Staying in the profitability sweetspot of mediocrity won't take us far until we can reload.
A healthy Bargnani and Amare is counter productive to the longer term goal.

Love the wins and its a long season. A core of Melo-Jose-Dalebert-Amare-Bargs just makes no long term sense.

Lose the battle to win the war.

So far its a mixed bag. Did a nice job to jettison Felton's crap deal and package that with Capt. Overrated and get some assets back.

Not picking up Larkin's options strikes me as utterly retarded. Young guys locked into less than $2mm a year deals with talent are what you want. Now he's totally devalued both as a prospect and a trade piece. He's become nothing more than a rental backup PG which is a shame.

Here's the question... if your not going to keep a guy like Larkin who are you trading anyone for?

I have no clue what the vision. I loathe the Marc Gasol chatter.

I have no problem with selling high when it comes to Amare, Bargs or Calderon or any of these guys. I just dont know what the plan is. If youth were part of it wouldnt Larkin be here?

This who thing strikes me as a gut the roster and starphuck for two years. I guess its just see how it plays out.

Lucky for me Im OK with Melo as it seems he's the only guy who will be around next year.

Plus, facing the better teams once they start rolling is just going to make it that much harder.

Good start so far, but take it one game by game. The prospects for this year will be clearer in six weeks.

Nalod wrote:

fishmike wrote:to me is simple: Manage your assets.

So far its a mixed bag. Did a nice job to jettison Felton's crap deal and package that with Capt. Overrated and get some assets back.

Not picking up Larkin's options strikes me as utterly retarded. Young guys locked into less than $2mm a year deals with talent are what you want. Now he's totally devalued both as a prospect and a trade piece. He's become nothing more than a rental backup PG which is a shame.

Here's the question... if your not going to keep a guy like Larkin who are you trading anyone for?

I have no clue what the vision. I loathe the Marc Gasol chatter.

I have no problem with selling high when it comes to Amare, Bargs or Calderon or any of these guys. I just dont know what the plan is. If youth were part of it wouldnt Larkin be here?

This who thing strikes me as a gut the roster and starphuck for two years. I guess its just see how it plays out.

Lucky for me Im OK with Melo as it seems he's the only guy who will be around next year.

We can resign Larkin up to the $1.67mm. I doubt he exceeds that. If so, Im not sure Phil wants to commit to a 5foot 10 player who is not a sharpshooter.
Im not sure what his value was but if someone values him not having that option picked up won't make him less attractive. Larkin I doubt is or will be in a position to write his own check like Lin was.
Phil knows his value. Of course if the kid blows up we messed up. I see his minutes gone when Jose returns.

Marc Gasol has been great with the Grizz. Seems each year they over achieve? He is the big guy. Not looking at stats just wins. Z-bo has a lot to do with it and they have good chemistry.
But, the kid is a good defender. If he aspires for culture like his brother he might want to make the move.

Like you, I don't see a clear plan and of course its a big chess game with lots of contingent moves after another.

Shump and JR are not early adapters to the System.

Gasol... nice player, but part of a bigger picture. There are very good players on that team, especially on defense and the glass. Gasol is just a piece, just like ZBo.

Nalod wrote:

fishmike wrote:to me is simple: Manage your assets.

So far its a mixed bag. Did a nice job to jettison Felton's crap deal and package that with Capt. Overrated and get some assets back.

Not picking up Larkin's options strikes me as utterly retarded. Young guys locked into less than $2mm a year deals with talent are what you want. Now he's totally devalued both as a prospect and a trade piece. He's become nothing more than a rental backup PG which is a shame.

Here's the question... if your not going to keep a guy like Larkin who are you trading anyone for?

I have no clue what the vision. I loathe the Marc Gasol chatter.

I have no problem with selling high when it comes to Amare, Bargs or Calderon or any of these guys. I just dont know what the plan is. If youth were part of it wouldnt Larkin be here?

This who thing strikes me as a gut the roster and starphuck for two years. I guess its just see how it plays out.

Lucky for me Im OK with Melo as it seems he's the only guy who will be around next year.

We can resign Larkin up to the $1.67mm. I doubt he exceeds that. If so, Im not sure Phil wants to commit to a 5foot 10 player who is not a sharpshooter.
Im not sure what his value was but if someone values him not having that option picked up won't make him less attractive. Larkin I doubt is or will be in a position to write his own check like Lin was.
Phil knows his value. Of course if the kid blows up we messed up. I see his minutes gone when Jose returns.

Marc Gasol has been great with the Grizz. Seems each year they over achieve? He is the big guy. Not looking at stats just wins. Z-bo has a lot to do with it and they have good chemistry.
The kid is a good defender. If he aspires for culture like his brother he might want to make the move.

Like you, I don't see a clear plan and of course its a big chess game with lots of contingent moves after another.
I've lowered the bar on this season expectation and Phil has to balance keeping the team interesting while transition to the future.

My sense is Dalebert/Cole is not the future but a bridge. My hope is to sign Gasol and draft the best athlete in the top 5. The triangle requires players not positions.

There are too many players with skills in walk years. Amare, Larkin, Shump, potentially JR, Dalembert.. the whole damn team. These guys are playing hard, want to win and want to show they have value and of course get paid.

Nalod wrote:

To me their success is not enough to make us contenders but could inhibit longer term progress. Either should be traded for youtier assets or picks to teams looking for contending sooner than later. they can help a good team NOW.

Sorry, I hate the notion of tanking but the fact remains we need a good pick this year AND cap space. Staying in the profitability sweetspot of mediocrity won't take us far until we can reload.
A healthy Bargnani and Amare is counter productive to the longer term goal.

Love the wins and its a long season. A core of Melo-Jose-Dalebert-Amare-Bargs just makes no long term sense.

Lose the battle to win the war.

Were are trying to contend in the next yr or 2...My friend, melo is 31yrs old, smack dead in his prime, it's veterans like Amare and Barg, that will help us sooner rather than later.

Do you see wiggens and parker, they are not labron, melo, or wade, they are at least 5 yrs away from being a consistent playoff contender. Do you see Kyrie, in 3 yrs in hasn't even been to the playoffs.

Getting a high draft pick make us a lottery team for the next 5 seasons

I stated a view. SOme of you have countered with very good points. Im not looking to "sell it", its a discussion of views.
Phil not asking me what to do.

Quandary:

"a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation."

What is the situation? How to build a contender.
I agree that losing on purpose does not accomplish anything. Im talking about if things go south do we just let it go "organically"?

Nalod wrote:

I stated a view. SOme of you have countered with very good points. Im not looking to "sell it", its a discussion of views.
Phil not asking me what to do.

Quandary:

"a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation."

What is the situation? How to build a contender.
I agree that losing on purpose does not accomplish anything. Im talking about if things go south do we just let it go "organically"?

Yes.

fishmike wrote:

babyKnicks wrote:

Nalod wrote:

I stated a view. SOme of you have countered with very good points. Im not looking to "sell it", its a discussion of views.
Phil not asking me what to do.

Quandary:

"a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation."

What is the situation? How to build a contender.
I agree that losing on purpose does not accomplish anything. Im talking about if things go south do we just let it go "organically"?

Yes.

at that point you have no choice.

You do have a choice. Team last year could have went "Lowrey" and futher mortgaged the future. There is always a quick fix.
Bargnani was a weak attempt. CAA mafia went there.
Lots of things a team can do to keep from falling into the abyss but it comes at a cost.
The Abyss orevention tactic might not get our out of the first round.

I suppose the point I was making is if the team is hitting on all cylinders to its potential but not really making headway and there are assets to be shed for some future value then I would imagine the team will look at it. Amare for a stashed Euro with potential? A high second round pick? Maybe Amare wants out as well? Latch on with a contender for a few months.

We aren't going to trade for 3rd tier guys with long contacts. Our assets are our expiring contacts. Bargs is currently not playing and amare is expendible at this point. We can trade or nah.

Either way we aren't in bad shape no matter what we end up doing. If we do nothing we get to stay plugging more guys into our triangle machine. If we trade for someone, it will be for a player that fits that mold Phil talks about.

No use crying about the draft. We are not going to tank with what we have going for us. You don't tank with all the money invested in fisher Phil and Melo.... we're in a 5 year plan. The plan is to become championship ready sooner rather than later.